Curiousity
by jane0904
Summary: Kaylee decides to visit her parents to tell them her news, and there's trouble in store for the rest of the crew. Another instalment in my Mal/Freya 'verse.
1. Chapter 1

"Captain?" Kaylee stood by Mal's elbow. "Can I speak to you?"

Mal put his coffee cup down. "What is it, little Kaylee?"

"We'll be passing by Phoros, won't we?"

"In a coupla hours, sure."

"I'd like to go see my folks. Tell them about the baby." Kaylee patted her only slightly rounded belly.

"Well, we can't stop – we have deliveries to make on time, and the folks waiting don't like tardiness," Mal said, looking up at his mechanic.

"I wondered if Freya maybe could take me in the shuttle?" Kaylee asked hesitantly.

Freya, in the kitchen pouring herself a coffee, looked up in surprise.

"Well …" Mal considered.

"I don't mind," Freya said, coming to the table. "We can rendezvous later."

"We've got a pretty tight schedule, but … okay," Mal agreed. "I guess I can't stop you if you want to go home. Just don't be late getting back – something's sure to need fixing before too long."

Kaylee grinned. "Thanks, Cap'n." She hurried out before he could change his mind.

Freya sat down, gazing at him contemplatively. He took another mouthful of coffee, waited a moment, then said, "What?"

"You big softie."

"Maybe." His lips twitched. "But I ain't sure I could take Kaylee moping about the boat if I said no." He nodded in the direction she had gone. "It's bad enough her being cheerful all the time: weepy and hormonal would be so much worse." He smiled. "You okay with taking her?"

"No problem. Have you ever met her family?"

"Nope. Never came up before."

"I wonder what they're like?"

"Average working people, I suspect. Just a fluke they got one like Kaylee."

"Damn lucky for you," Freya pointed out.

"Yeah – she keeps Serenity flying."

---

Kaylee sat in the co-pilot's chair as Freya brought the shuttle into atmo. "Where do you want me to land?"

"Docks will be fine. I sent a wave to let them know I'd be coming, so someone will be waiting for me."

"You worried about what they might say?"

"Some," Kaylee admitted. "But I am a grown woman, and I can make my own decisions."

Grown woman? Freya glanced across as the girl beside her, but somehow couldn't bring the two together. She pulled the com link down. "Phoros, this is shuttle two from the Firefly transport ship Serenity, requesting permission to land."

"Firefly shuttle, what is your business here?"

"Just visiting. A day, max."

"Dock 94, east side."

"Thanks. Anything I should know?"

"Nothing major. Usual postings – just check out the Cortex."

"Thanks again, Phoros control."

Freya brought the shuttle into a controlled landing, setting down at the dock with barely a tremor. "Okay," she said, switching everything off. "Now what?"

"We go look for them."

Not that they needed to look far. As Freya opened the airlock, half a dozen people swarmed up to the shuttle.

"Kaylee?" called the older woman, her still dark hair piled up on her head.

"I think it's for you," Freya murmured, standing out of the way.

Kaylee, a grin as wide as the 'verse on her face, ran down the steps and hugged the woman. "Momma!"

Freya, not having had access to a family for a very long time, stood back, slightly embarrassed, as Kaylee was overwhelmed by everyone else.

Eventually they let her up to breathe, although her mother kept her close, hugging her daughter. "And is this Captain Reynolds?" her mother asked.

"No, this is Freya. She's one of Serenity's crew, like me. She brought me in the shuttle."

"That was nice." Kaylee's mother smiled.

"No problem."

"Come, come. We've got food, and your father is waiting to see you."

"Is he okay? I thought he might –"

"Just busy. You know how it can be. Most of the time there's nothing, then you get so much you can't get it all done."

"I know what you mean." Kaylee couldn't stop grinning. "Just like Serenity. You wait for ages for something to need fixing, then you're working all hours to keep her in the sky."

"Same old Kaylee," said one of the young men. "Always got her head in something mechanical."

They all started to lead Kaylee away, then the mother turned back. "Are you coming?"

"I thought I'd stay with the shuttle. Make sure …" Then Freya saw the look of pleading cross Kaylee's face. "No, of course I'll come." The pleading turned to thankfulness, and Kaylee allowed herself to be pulled along.

---

Kaylee's father was quiet throughout the meal, watching his daughter with a serious eye. As they finished, he sat back and spoke to Freya. "What do you think of this Simon?"

Freya looked at him, surprised. She swallowed her last mouthful and said, "He's a good boy. Man."

"Is he going to do the right thing?"

"Pa! I ain't asked him to!" Kaylee interjected.

"He should know his responsibilities."

Freya put in, "He does." There was an uncomfortable pause. "He's medic on Serenity," she offered.

"Then how did he let this happen?"

"I don't think it was a case of letting anything happen," Freya said soothingly. "It just did."

There was an awkward pause, then Kaylee's mother said, "So how long have you been on Serenity?"

"Nearly two years."

"And how long have you known our Kaylee?"

"Oh, a lot longer. It must be, what, _xiao mei-mei_, six years?"

"Nearly seven."

"Wow. I suppose it is."

"I'm sorry to say we ain't heard of you," Mrs Frye said, casting a somewhat disapproving look at her daughter.

"Momma, you know I write every chance I get," Kaylee said blithely. "And I'm sure I've written about her."

"Not that I can recall." Mrs Frye looked back at Freya. "And what did you do before?"

"Well, I had my own ship. But things change."

"Yes, they do. Children grow up, for one thing." Kaylee's mother looked at her with a mixture of affection and concern.

---

"What have you got?" Mal asked as he climbed the short flight of stairs to the bridge.

"Picking up some kind of signal. Too small to be a ship, but might be interesting." Hank glanced out of the window. "And it's not out of our way."

"Best guess?"

"Jettisoned cargo. Some ships used to stick a beacon on cargo if they had to leave it behind, so they could pick it up later."

"Used to?"

"Too many pirates around nowadays." Hank managed to say this with a straight face, which Mal appreciated.

"Perhaps we should take a look. Make sure it's not valuable. Someone might be needing it." Mal matched his pilot's tone.

"Could return it to them, if we can find them."

"Absolutely. How far is it?"

"About ten minutes."

"Bring us alongside it. If it's too big to get into the cargo bay we'll go take a walk to see what it is."

---

Hank was good – he scooped the stack into the cargo bay outer doors, setting it down gently before activating the gravity again. Mal opened the inner doors.

"Well, look at this," Mal smiled. "Seems to be a safe of some kind."

"Maybe there's gold inside it," Jayne suggested, a glint in his eye.

Mal squatted down by the metal canister, running his hand over the outside. "Seems almost new – I wonder how long it's been out here?"

"Well, the signal is an old type," Hank said. "That style hasn't been used in a decade or so, so I guess it could have been hanging around that time."

"How come no-one found it before?" Jayne asked.

"We're a mite off the beaten track. Mal wanted us out of the usual traffic, so that's where we are. And that beacon's been weak all along – I don't reckon it was a high spec in the first place. Probably just something was tacked on to meet regulations." Hank rubbed his hands together. "So how do we get in?"

"Do you want me to get the torch?" Jayne offered.

"Well, it's late," Mal said, standing up. "And as we don't know what's inside we could damage it."

"How?"

"What if it's paper money?" Zoe put in. "One whiff of that torch and it could all go up in flames."

"I get'cha."

"So how do we open it?" Hank asked again.

Mal crossed his arms. "We don't. Kaylee'll be back tomorrow morning, and we'll wait for her. She can probably open it with a toothpick, easy as pie."

"Mal –" Jayne began.

"Decision's been made. If it's worth anything it'll keep. And no sneaking down to try your hand when we're all asleep."

"Now what makes you think – "

"Because I know you, Jayne." Mal fixed him with a stern look. "Do I have to lock you in your bunk?"

"Oh, okay." Jayne gave in very ungracefully.

---

It was late. Everyone but Hank was asleep, and he was dozing on the bridge, unable to rouse himself to get to his bunk. Down in the cargo bay the stack was sitting on the floor, looking totally innocuous, until a light ran across the panel on the front. Then, very slowly, a grille slid open, and vapour began to slide out.

As the gas mingled with the atmo, it spread throughout the ship. Mal, alone on his bunk, still in his pants but shirtless, turned over and sank into a deeper sleep. Jayne stirred, tried to open his eyes but lay back again. Hank, up on the bridge, slid sideways and hung half out of the pilot's chair. Even River, waking, aware of something not right, found it impossible to rise, and fell back on her pillow, her eyes closing against her will.

---

Freya left the small house, finding Kaylee's father outside on the porch, smoking a small cigar rather absently. He turned at her approach.

"Ma won't let me smoke these in the house," he explained, lifting the cheroot. "Says it stinks the place out somewhat." He turned back to studying the horizon.

Freya stepped closer. "Mr Frye … I know you're worried about what will happen if Simon leaves, that Kaylee would be on her own, bringing up a child alone. That won't ever happen."

Edmondos Frye turned again, standing squarely facing her. "You can promise that, can you?"

"Well, for one thing Simon would never leave Kaylee – he loves her too much." Mr Frye did not look convinced. Freya went on, "And if he tried Mal – Captain Reynolds – would make sure he took a long walk out of a short airlock, with no suit." Freya stepped closer. "Mr Frye, we're a family, and Kaylee's the heart. The Captain may be the head, but Kaylee's the heart, and she keeps us beating. And none of us would ever knowingly allow Kaylee to be hurt."

"You called her _xiao mei-mei_."

"Did I?" Freya thought back. "I guess perhaps I did."

"Is that how you feel?"

"Oh yes." Freya was emphatic. "Kaylee's the little sister I never had. We all feel like that. And no matter what happens, we'll always be there for her."

"I guess that's all a father can ask." He carefully stubbed out the cigar on the wall, knocking the ash off so he could put the remainder in his shirt pocket. "Are you staying the night?"

Freya shook her head. "No, we have to get back. Serenity will be waiting for us."

"But you will stay for supper."

Freya wondered if she could take more food, but smiled and said, "Yes. Of course."

Mr Frye smiled and went back inside.

Freya stayed put, staring at the buildings around them. Factories belched smoke some distance off, but this area was mostly residential. Plain buildings, like the one Kaylee's family lived in, set cheek by jowl. No matter that Serenity wasn't that big, but it seemed bigger than this whole town. Something to do with being out in the black, no doubt. Space was a hell of a lot bigger than anything she could ever imagine.

"Thanks," Kaylee said from behind her.

"What for?" She turned, smiling at the young woman.

"Talking to my dad."

"No problem."

"You really think I'm the heart of Serenity?" Kaylee blushed a little.

"Were you listening?"

"Bad habit, I know."

"You might hear stuff you don't want to."

"People don't mean half the things they say anyway."

"Still cheerful, huh?"

Kaylee laughed, seeming more relaxed than she'd been in days. "Come on, food's ready."

Freya groaned. "You know, the amount of food around here, I'm surprised you're not all round as pigs."

"Oh, this ain't usual," Kaylee said quickly. "This is just for us."

Freya was disgusted with herself that she hadn't guessed it already. "They won't go short because of it, will they?"

Kaylee shrugged. "I've already given my mom some money."

Freya reached into her back pocket and pulled out a thin wad of cash. Peeling a couple of notes from it, she held it out. "Here. Add this to it."

Kaylee shook her head. "No. Freya, you don't have to."

"That ain't the point. Take it."

Kaylee took the proffered notes. "I know where my mom put the other – I'll put this with it before we go."

"Good." Freya took the young mechanic's arm. "Now, let's go eat. And I'll see if I can let my pants out one more notch."

---

Serenity's shuttle two lifted off smoothly into the darkening sky, rapidly breaking atmo and gaining the stars again. Kaylee, sleeping off the food, muttered something then settled back more comfortably on the bench. Freya smiled – that had gone surprisingly well. Now just to get back.

---

"Good to be home," Kaylee said, looking out towards the dot that was Serenity.

"Yeah, it surely is." Freya glanced at the young woman. "More home than home?"

"It's … mine."

"I know what you mean." She lifted down the comlink. "Shuttle two to Serenity, requesting permission to dock." She released the button, but there was only static. "Serenity, this is shuttle two. Anyone awake over there?" Still there was just the hiss of space.

"What is it?" Kaylee asked.

"What's shipboard time?"

Kaylee calculated. "Around 8. Early."

"That's what I make it. Someone should be up." She tried again. "Serenity, is there a problem? Hank? Mal?"

"She's not moving," Kaylee said suddenly. She pointed out of the window. "Serenity ain't moving. And it looks like she's powered down."

The young engineer was right. As they rapidly approached, they could see the glow that should have lit the Firefly's engine housing was absent, and the ship hung motionless in space.

"I'm taking the shuttle in." Freya didn't take her eyes off Serenity. "Buckle up."

Kaylee slid into the co-pilot's chair as Freya manoeuvred the shuttle over the left stabiliser, settling the small craft into place.

"Kaylee, stay in the shuttle."

"Why?"

"Just do it". Freya drew her gun, checked that it was fully loaded, then very cautiously, very tentatively opened the door and looked into Serenity. There was no sound, no noise at all. Even the usually inaudible hum of the engine had stopped. Auxiliary life support must be functioning, though, as there was no discernible drop in temperature.

Freya slid around the door, moving quietly along the gangway, watching the bay below. She climbed the stairs to the bridge, but it was empty. Despite her calm exterior, she could feel the adrenalin beginning to pump, and she was ready to fight. Only there was nothing to fight. No indication Serenity even had a crew.

All the doors to the bunks were closed, and opening Mal's she managed to look in far enough to confirm the bed was empty. The blankets were on the floor, but of the man himself there was no sign. His gun was hanging where he left it. She exhaled quietly.

Hank and Jayne's bunks were likeways empty, but as Freya looked into Zoe's she saw the bed was occupied. Dropping to the floor she checked no-one was hiding, then felt the first mate's neck. A pulse, good and strong.

Freya felt a frisson of relief, which died when Zoe refused to wake up, even to vigorous shaking. "_Tah muh duh_!"

"Freya – River's in her room but Simon's gone!" Kaylee's frantic voice filled the ship over the com. Swearing volubly, giving her exact opinion of Kaylee's inability to do as she was told, as well as the possibility she had just let uninvited guests know they were here, Freya scrambled back up the ladder and hurried through the dining area, pausing only to briefly check the engine room before hurrying down to the passenger dorm.

"Kaylee, what part of _stay put_ didn't you understand?"

"Simon's gone!" Kaylee's normally bright face was creased with worry. "And I can't wake River."

Freya glanced at the girl on the bed. Just sleeping – at least, that's what it looked like. "Zoe's the same. Have you checked on Inara?"

"No – I came straight here."

"Come on." Freya lifted a warning finger. "And stay close."

In Inara's shuttle they found the Companion also dead to the world, but breathing deep.

"This don't make sense," Kaylee said, shaking her head. "Why can't we wake them?"

"Something happened here, that's for sure." Freya holstered her gun and looked pensive.

"Why take the menfolk?" Kaylee was beginning to wind herself even tighter. "What would they want with them?" She turned wide, fearful eyes on Freya as a horrible thought occurred to her. "You don't think they pushed them all out of the airlock, do you?"

"No. No, I don't. If they wanted to kill them, why leave the women?"

"But it –"

Freya took hold of the young woman's shoulders, looking deep into her eyes. "Kaylee, I can't be having this from you right now. I need you focused."

"I'm worried about Simon. All of them. I want them back."

"I know." Freya let a beat pass. "So do I. But right now we need to get Serenity up and running again. Then we can go get our men."

"We don't know where to start looking." A tear rolled down Kaylee's face.

Freya gently wiped it away with the heel of her hand. "Then we find out. Get Serenity powered up – I'm going to check the sensor logs. And we think positive, _dong mah_?"

"Okay." Kaylee nodded.

---

"Son of a bitch." Freya sat in the pilot's chair, wrestling with the controls. She had heard the engines start just a few moments ago, on the edge of her hearing, and now power was coming back, but she couldn't get to the information she needed.

"What is it?" Kaylee asked from behind her.

"They've wiped the logs. Masterly job too. Nothing since before we left." She stood up and started to pace.

"Let me look." Kaylee moved fast and experienced fingers across the console, then nodded. "You're right. It was good." Then she looked up. "What about the shuttle? Inara's, I mean? It has logs of its own, not connected to Serenity."

Freya pulled the young engineer close and planted a kiss on the top of her head. "I knew Mal kept you around for something."

They hurried back to shuttle one, where Inara hadn't moved. On the small bridge Kaylee slid into the chair, activating the controls. She brightened a little. "Yep, they forgot. Or didn't think."

"What can you give me?"

Kaylee pushed a few more buttons. "Exterior view. They stopped to pick something up, it looks like." The vid screen glowed to life, and there was a view of Serenity's hull. Her bay doors were open, and something was heading inside.

"Not very big. Can you enhance it so we can see better?"

"Nope, that's it. Good as it gets."

"Well, I didn't see anything like that in the cargo bay. You?"

"Not a thing."

"What else?"

The image on the vid screen seemed to shimmer slightly as the log forwarded, then slowed to show a ship docked.

"Go back, slowly. Did they hail us?"

Kaylee shook her head. "No. And we didn't hail them either. They just locked onto us."

"Can you give me internal sensors?"

"Sorry, Frey. Not for Serenity."

Freya watched the ship docking with their boat. "How long were they here?"

"Ten minutes. Maybe twelve."

"Long enough to get the men off, nuke the logs and go." Freya spoke thoughtfully. "Can you tell me where this all happened?"

"Got the co-ordinates right here."

Feed them through to the bridge. "Gives us some place to look. Oh, and Kaylee?"

"Yes?"

"Take a good gander at these pictures. No-one's been thrown out of an airlock."

Kaylee smiled a little at last. "Point taken."

---


	2. Chapter 2

Mal struggled to open his eyes, then wished he hadn't. Bright lights flashed in his vision, and a wave of nausea passed through him.

"Lie still," a voice said. "It'll pass soon enough."

Mal managed to look around. It had been Simon speaking. "Doc? You okay?"

"Groggy. But that'll pass too."

Mal nodded, then truly wished he hadn't as he threw up next to him.

"Great," Jayne muttered from a little way off.

"It happens," Simon said quietly.

"I did," Hank put in.

Mal wiped his mouth on his sleeve and sat up, looking around him. "Everyone okay?"

"Everyone who's here," Jayne put in. "The girls ain't."

Mal stopped, surprised. "You're right." He tried to stand up but failed. "Where the hell are we?"

"Far as I can tell, some kind of cell. These guys have been here for a while."

"What?" Mal peered into the darkness and finally made out another half a dozen men in the room, clustered together into a corner.

"Then there's this." Jayne indicated his neck, and the metal ring that surrounded it.

"What did they hit us with?" Mal asked, fingering the metal torque around his own neck. There was a gap between the terminals, but not enough to get it off.

"Zytocholine gas," Simon put in. "At least from the after effects. And the smell, of course."

Mal sniffed his sleeve. "I thought that was me."

"No, it's a phantom smell. Not real. Just in your brain."

"So … I can't move away from it."

"Sorry, no," Simon explained. "It's used to dispel rioters, or more accurately, to put them to sleep. It disrupts the neural pathways, stops the –"

"Doctor, you lost me at the smell." He touched the metal again. "And is this what I think it is?"

Simon nodded. "A pacifier."

"Great," Mal said with no humour at all. "Slavers."

"Then where're the girls?" Jayne asked. "I never heard of slavers not taking women."

"That's just what I'm considering."

"Maybe they're somewhere else?" Hank suggested.

"Maybe. But at this moment I can't conjure a reason why."

"At least Kaylee's safe," Simon muttered.

"And if they're waiting for 'em?" Jayne asked, testing the pacifier. "You think Freya's going to go down without a fight?"

"We did," Hank put in.

"Yeah, well." Jayne pulled on the torque.

"Don't," advised one of the men in the corner. "These things aren't just – _he_ tried to take it off." He nodded towards the wall, a spot furthest from anyone.

Serenity's crew glanced at each other, then Mal got to his knees and crawled closer. "_Tah muh duh_." The man lying against the wall was dead – no way he could have been anything else with nothing above his shoulders. Mal felt the nausea rise again, but swallowed it back.

---

Freya was back in her and Mal's bunk, freshening up. As she dried her hands, she turned from the sink to look at the bed. Mal had had it widened after she'd moved in with him, as more than once one or the other of them had nearly rolled onto the floor. He hadn't had it changed back when she left – maybe he believed she'd come back some day. Or just hoped. Or maybe it was just to remind him what a woman could do to tear your heart out. One way or another, when he had invited her back in, only a short while previously, it was to old familiar ground. Her stuff was back in here as well – her figurine and incense holder sat next to his shaving equipment, and her clothes were in a heap on the other chair.

She stepped forward and picked up the blanket, hugging it to her face for a moment, breathing in the scent of him that still lingered. "Mal, one day your curiosity is going to do to you what it did to the cat," she said to no-one at all. "Just don't let it be today. I've only just found you again – don't you dare die on me now."

"Freya," Kaylee said over the com. "We're coming up on the co-ordinates."

Smoothing the pillow, Freya folded the blanket neatly and placed in gently on the mattress. Then she stood straight, her back firm, and headed back up the ladder, her face determined.

---

Serenity slowed, her retros firing, and came to a halt. After a short while the door opened from the cargo bay and Freya stepped out of the airlock into space, the very slight push moving her slowly towards the stack. She grabbed on. "Kaylee, I'm here. You getting a good picture?"

Kaylee, on Serenity's bridge, looked at the vidscreen. "Can you get a little closer?"

"Okay." Freya moved her helmet, the small camera mounted to one side of the face plate, closer to the stack. "How's that?"

"Shiny. Can you take the front off?"

"Not sure. There's no screws."

"Put some weight behind the main plate – it should pop easy."

Freya did as she was told, managing to get her gloved fingers into a gap, and Kaylee was right: with a little pressure the main plate flew off into the black. "Okay, I'm in."

"Go to the main array." Kaylee shook her head. "You know, this would be so much simpler if you'd let me –"

"No," Frey interrupted. "For one thing I'm not bringing this on board because we don't know what it did last time. And secondly, I am not putting you into a suit, not in your condition."

"I'd be fine."

"So if something happens you want me to tell Simon that?"

"Oh. Well, maybe not."

"Right. Okay, I'm at the main array."

"Plug the D-unit into the pin lock."

"Can't see –"

"It's on the left. Behind that green light."

"Yep. Got it. Damn, it's tricky in these gloves. _Tzao gao!"_

"You okay?"

"Nearly dropped it. Okay, it's in."

Kaylee played an arpeggio on the keyboard, and lights flashed across the front of the stack.

"Something's happening." Freya watched the display. "Kaylee, should it be doing this?"

"Um, no. Frey, I think you'd better get back inside. Now."

Freya pushed off quickly, the image on the screen whirling drunkenly as she turned until it fastened on Serenity, coming up awfully fast. Then she was inside, closing the doors. "Kaylee, I'm in."

The young engineer flicked a couple of switches, bringing Serenity to life, starting to pull her away from the stack.

"Kaylee, what's happening?" Freya asked, feeling the artificial gravity reasserting itself.

"Hold on to something," Kaylee said quietly.

Freya looked up surprised, then felt Serenity rock beneath her boots. "Kaylee …"

"It blew up. Whatever it was, it blew up." Kaylee sounded almost surprised. "If we'd had it on board … it would have taken us all with it."

"Anti-tampering device," Freya said as she undid her helmet. "Did you get the info we needed before it went?"

"I got something. Just checking it now."

"I'm on my way up."

---

Freya stepped onto the bridge. "So? What'd we get?"

"Nothing." Kaylee was clearly upset, and Freya's face tightened, but the young woman went on, "But it sent a signal somewhere."

"Like a distress?"

"Something like."

"So they may be coming to see what happened."

"Maybe."

Freya put her hands on the girl's shoulders and squeezed gently. "Hope, Kaylee. It's hope. We've still got a chance here. Now, you'd better move. We need to get Serenity somewhere safe, 'cos they're not gonna be so stupid as to not recognise a ship they just boarded."

"But –"

Freya leaned down. "Kaylee, focus. Remember?"

"Focus. Yeah."

---

As the ship approached the remains of the stack, Freya brought the shuttle from the lea of the nearby moon, and hailed it.

"This is shuttle two from the transport ship Serenity. Glad to see you! We could sure use a little help."

The vid screen in front of her flickered, then showed a man, a friendly smile on his face. "What's the problem?"

"We're lost." Freya laughed. "No, our nav sat's gone down, and we need a pointer. Trying to find our ship."

"You're a long ways out from anywhere. What ship is that?"

"A Firefly. Serenity. We were visiting Phoros, and came back, but … you ain't seen her, have you?"

"A Firefly? Not seen one of them for a long while. Didn't know they still ran."

"Some do. Got a good mechanic. Not that she's helping too much – we can't even raise Serenity at the moment. Been trying for a good long while too, so we're mighty happy to see you."

The man on the screen nodded to someone off vid, then looked back. "No problem. Probably best if you dock with us, and my people can take a look, see what we can go about your nav sat."

"Thanks – we'd be most grateful."

"Come alongside. And I have to say, we'd be pleased to have a little female company for a while."

Freya brought the shuttle to the airlock with barely a jolt, and the other craft locked on.

---

"I'm Liam Roarke," the man in front said, holding out his hand. Freya shook it, then glanced at the four men standing behind him.

"Didn't think we were that dangerous," she said, nodding down at the weapons they all carried.

"Couldn't be sure 'til we saw you," Roarke said. "But I think we're probably safe." He grinned at Kaylee in a downright friendly fashion, who managed to smile back. He turned and nodded at his men, who disappeared into the guts of his vessel, leaving only one other.

"We ain't pirates, if that's what you're worried about," Freya stated.

"Nope, shouldn't think you are. But you know what it's like out here."

"That all your crew?"

"Don't need any more." Roarke put his hands on his hips. "We're a small salvage operation, don't need that many guns around. You hungry?" he asked. "We got food if you are."

"Could always use a meal," Freya said, nodding and smiling.

"Good. If you'll follow my man here, I'll be with you shortly."

"Thanks."

The man led them through a couple of doors, then said, "After you."

Freya went through the indicated doorway, Kaylee close behind. As the door closed, she kicked out at the man hiding behind a curtain, catching him in the belly, then as he doubled over drew her gun and clubbed him on the back of the head, turning in the same movement and shooting the first man, who was about to do the same to her.

Kaylee leaned against the wall, watching the fight. The third man thundered out of the other room with a roar, firing his gun, which stopped as Freya put a bullet in his throat. He fell, poleaxed.

"Kaylee, you okay?" Freya asked, barely out of breath.

"I'm fine. How did you know …" Kaylee was stunned.

"Instinct."

"Are they –"

Freya checked the man she'd cold-cocked. "Must have hit him harder than I thought," she muttered. "They're dead."

"Oh." She looked up. "Now what?"

"We have a little talk with the captain of this heap." Freya led the way out into the corridor. "Any idea where his quarters might be?"

"This is a Saroyan, like the boat you used to have," Kaylee pointed out.

"Really?" Freya looked around in surprise. "Been retrofitted, then. I didn't recognise it. In which case …" She moved towards the stairs. "Stay behind me."

"Wasn't intending on going anywhere," Kaylee muttered, a little asperity in her voice, and Freya smiled.

She moved fast through the ship, coming up to the captain's cabin in no time. The last remaining crewmember was outside, and fired as she turned the corner. Freya ducked back, but then rolled fast forward, coming up to her knees, the gun in her hand spitting. The man fell against the cabin door, which burst inwards. Freya was on her feet and stepping over the body in a moment.

Roarke was standing in the main room, shock on his face. He went for his gun but Freya's voice cut through the air. "Don't. Not unless you want your blood spilled."

He stopped moving, then slowly raised his hands. He stared at her. "Two of you? Just two of you to bollix up my operation like this?"

"Just one, actually." Kaylee said from behind Freya, look apologetic. "She's good."

"Seems she is." The slaver looked at Freya. "Can I put my hands down?"

"Depends. What were you planning on doing with them after that?"

"Not a lot. Just going to sit down, take the weight off my feet."

"Do anything stupid and I will end you."

"Oh, I believe you." He moved slowly, carefully, and sat down behind his desk, far enough from the table itself so as not to hide his hands. "What do you want, by the way?" He looked at her closely. "Or do you usually go around attacking innocent ships?"

"Innocent?" Kaylee asked, her voice high. "You're slavers."

"Time-honoured profession, little girl," Roarke said. "Been going on a thousand years."

"Don't make it right."

Freya ignored her. "I've only got one question. Where did you take the men from Serenity?"

"That damn Firefly?" Roarke was disgusted. "I knew we should have blown it up."

"Just be glad you didn't." Freya moved a step closer. "Now, you're going to tell me where they are, or I shall just have to take some target practice." She lowered her gun a little. "Would you prefer to do without your left kneecap, or your right?"

"Okay, okay." He lifted his hands in surrender. "Don't see the harm telling you. I did get paid, so the job's over. Besides, I don't think I'll be doing this run anymore. Mite too troublesome."

Freya pulled the trigger, the bullet slamming into the bulkhead just an inch from his head. "Where."

"Tetris. Got a regular order for folks."

Freya's mouth tightened. "Tetris. You mean the mines."

"Yep."

"Well, that part explains why you only took the men." Kaylee looked at her, but Freya didn't explain. "But not fully. Why didn't you take the girls? You're a … purveyor of people. Didn't think you'd be so selective."

"We're not. We'd have come back – were on our way. Women like that – crazy not to. Get a good price, too."

"Good price," Freya echoed. "What did you use on them?"

"That's three questions. Don't think we agreed on three."

"Just answer. I don't have all day."

"Zytocholine."

"Zyto –" Her finger tightened on the trigger. "You used that _niou-se_ stuff on my crew?"

"Easy, cheap and reliable."

"Do you have the antidote? To the gas?"

"No. We don't need it. Don't feed them, just transport them. Easier to have them asleep 'til they get there. And the market on … well, they'd have the antidote for the women." Roarke looked at her. "Now what?" he asked. "How're we going to deal with this?"

"Not rightly sure."

"You could just get off. Not me nor my men would stop you."

"Your men ain't in a position to."

A flash of anger crossed his face. "Now that's just unkind."

"They tried to kill us. Didn't really have any choice in the matter." She didn't sound at all regretful.

He licked his lips. "So it's just me?"

"'Fraid so."

"Then let me go. I'll be no more trouble to you."

"Think you're going to stay slaving?"

He laughed. "Oh, I'm thinking on taking up a different line of work."

"Probably for the best." Freya turned to Kaylee. "Best get back. We'll tie him –"

Kaylee's eyes widened, and she shouted, "Freya!"

But the other woman had already begun to turn, her gun lifting and firing in the same movement.

The slaver slammed back into the wall, the gun he had slid from under the table flying from his fingers. He slipped to the floor, his eyes glassy, unseeing, blood beginning to show at the front of his shirt over his heart. Freya reholstered her gun, her face impassive.

Kaylee looked at her friend, as always astounded and shocked that anyone could kill like that, without even thinking about it. She couldn't, and knew she never would.

Freya moved between her and the body, reading her face all too well, wanting to explain it wasn't as easy as that, that it never was, but knowing she wouldn't believe her. "Kaylee, think they have a self-destruct?"

"If not I can probably rig something. Wouldn't take too long."

"Do it. I want this piece of _gos se_ out of the sky."

"Sure thing." She went to go but stopped. "You don't think there's still anyone on board? Slaves, I mean."

"I'll check while you fix things up, but I doubt it. Looks to me like they were on their way back out."

"Right." Kaylee glanced over Freya's shoulder and shivered.

"Kaylee, get going."

"But Tetris? I know the name, but –"

"Tetris is one of the border moons, way out. Almost to the edge."

"But why only men? I don't get it."

"The terraforming did something. There's …" She shook her head. "Kaylee, we don't have time. Do what you need to – we have to get back to Serenity."

---

Kaylee was sitting next to River, holding the young girl's hand as she slept. Freya looked in.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Shiny." Kaylee sort of smiled, but it wasn't her usual, good-humoured grin. "I was just … why aren't they waking up?"

Freya sighed and stepped into the cabin. "It's the gas."

"But shouldn't it have worn off by now?"

"That's the hitch. You need the antidote. That's why slavers use it. The gas … well, the effects don't just go. Without the antidote they'll just go on sleeping."

"But that means –" Kaylee stared at River, appalled at the implication.

"They die," Freya confirmed. "We're going to have to sort out some drips, keep them hydrated, but that's about all we can do."

"Ain't we got anything that would work?"

"No." Freya rubbed her face, trying to make the tiredness go away. "It's a specific antigen, not too common. And that _yu bun duh_ slaver didn't say where he was taking the girls, so I have no way of knowing where … Don't see as we have a choice."

"So we have to …" Kaylee wiped a tear from her eye.

"We'll get the antidote, Kaylee." Freya put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Don't think otherwise. The mines will have it, and we'll get our men at the same time."

---

Mal wiped the back of his hand across his forehead, trying to staunch the sweat that ran down his skin. Instead he left a smear of black above his eyebrow. Leaning on his pickaxe, he looked around. Jayne was attacking the wall with a ferocious will, letting out all his aggression on it, while Simon and Hank were picking up the resulting lumps of ore and filling a hopper. Mal had to smile, just a little. Simon's fine clothes, even under the coveralls they had been given to wear, were now just as bad as the rest of them.

"Get moving," one of the guards shouted.

Mal looked at him, calculating the likelihood of burying his pickaxe in the man's head, but he didn't get a chance to find out. The pacifier around his neck flared into action, a light jumping between the terminals, and a pulse of agony blasted through his skull. He groaned and fell to his knees.

The overseer looked down at him. "You understand now? You work, you get treated okay. You don't work …" He pressed the button on his belt again, and the pacifier threw another wave of pain across Mal's head. This time he slid to the floor, gasping for air. The overseer pointed to Simon and Hank. "Pick him up. It'll wear off soon."

Hank and Simon hurried over, sitting Mal up against the wall.

"You okay?" Hank asked.

"Oh, hunky-dory." Mal's voice was dry, husky.

"Stay still – it'll wear off quicker," Simon advised.

"And I thought maybe I might go dancing."

"Well, that'd be funny, but it wouldn't do you any good."

Mal gave him a look, but the young doctor just gazed back.

"Everyone else, back to work!" the overseer demanded.

Jayne glared at him, but swung the pickaxe even harder, dislodging a great heap of ore.

---

They were sitting, being allowed to rest for a while, drinking the bitter water provided. Mal dropped his head back, staring up into the rock above.

"Are you okay, captain?" Simon asked. "The pacifier can –"

"I'm fine, doc." Mal looked back into the young man's face. "A bit of a headache, is all."

"Try not to antagonise them," Simon advised. "The cumulative effects of the stun can be dangerous."

"I know I'm going to regret asking," Mal said wearily, "but how dangerous?"

"It can weaken the walls of the blood vessels in the brain. Cause a haemorrhage."

"Great." Hank, lying on the ground trying to get some feeling back into his arms, spoke indignantly. "So either a cave-in gets us, the pacifier explodes, or we die from a stroke."

"There's plenty of ways to die," Mal said. "Trick is to avoid them as long as possible."

"What'd you think Freya and Kaylee're doing right now?" Jayne asked.

"If they've got any sense they'll be hightailing it away. But since I suspect neither of them to have the sense they were born with …" Mal didn't finish.

"Looking for us?" Simon suggested.

"I don't doubt it."

"In Kaylee's condition –" Simon shook his head.

"You think that'll stop her?" Mal asked.

"No." Simon sounded almost harsh. "No, I don't think it will."

"Back to work," the guard called, stepping over the rocks toward them. "Or …" He touched the pacifier control at his belt.

---

That night, or perhaps day – it was impossible to tell the passage of time down in the mines – they sat in the cell they shared with the other miners from their group, and contemplated their future.

"All I'm saying is that if one of us took out the guard, we'd have a better chance of getting away," Jayne insisted.

"Before or after they blow your head off?" Simon asked. "There's too many of them, and they all have control units." He had been taking mental notes while he had working. "You saw what it did to the captain – we wouldn't have a chance."

Mal leaned against the wall and let the throbbing in his head drown out their bickering, just hoping the pacifier hadn't done any permanent damage.

"Maybe the girls can find us," Hank offered, trying to play peacemaker. "We know Freya and Kaylee weren't taken, so if they got back, found us gone …"

"Freya'd come looking for us, that's for damn sure," Jayne agreed. "Not sure how they'd find us."

"It wouldn't help if they did," Mal finally put in, opening his eyes. "I think I've figured out where we are."

"So? Where are we?"

"Tetris."

"Tetris?" Jayne shook his head. "Do I know that place?"

"I don't know about you, but I've been here before, once, a long time ago. Soon after I bought Serenity. We brought out supplies for the workers." He leaned forward. "I recognise the logo on their uniforms."

"Tetris?" Simon repeated. "Why does that seem familiar?"

"It might, if you knew anything about the problems that happen with terraforming." Mal shook his head. "We don't want Kaylee or Freya anywhere near this place."

"I still don't –"

"Haven't you wondered why we ain't seen any women down here?" Mal asked.

"I thought they were just … wait a minute. Yes. The mines on Tetris. Of course." Simon looked up, his face blanching under the dirt. "_Wuh de tyen, ah_. They can't come here."

"What are you two talking about?" Jayne asked.

"Terraforming can cause … all manner of problems," Simon said slowly. "The air down here in the mines, the ore … it reacts with the neural network, causes –"

"It kills women," Mal interrupted, not wanting Simon to get all scientific and doctory over it.

---


	3. Chapter 3

"It don't look no different to any other moon," Kaylee said, watching the image of Tetris as they slid on by.

"That's terraforming for you," Freya replied. "Makes everything look the same. Just like the Alliance. It's only in the little details that you can spot the differences."

"Like the mines being lethal to women."

"Like that."

"So how're we gonna do this?"

"Well, I'm hoping these scans will give me some ideas, but right now I intend swinging Serenity in a wide arc and parking on the far side of that other moon." She tapped an irregularly shaped rock on the screen. "There's gullies big enough to hide her in. Then I take the shuttle."

"_You_ take?" Kaylee looked at her friend sharply. "What do you mean – _you_ take?"

"I'm going in alone, Kaylee. I thought that was understood."

"No, it ain't. I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not. You're staying with Serenity."

"To do what? Worry myself to death? Freya, they're my family too. I'm not staying here."

"You are. Kaylee, we've already had this conversation. I'm not putting you in harm's way, and that's a fact." She put on her lieutenant's voice, but this time it didn't work.

"You're not my captain!" Kaylee shouted. "You can't order me around!" Her face was flushed.

"Kaylee, calm down," Freya said, putting her hand on the young woman's arm, mindful that this wasn't doing her any good at all. "In your condition –"

Kaylee pulled her arm away. "My condition? I'm pregnant, Freya, not broken." A tear slipped down her cheek. "You need me. You need my help. And I won't just sit here."

"Kaylee, listen to me –"

"No." She radiated stubbornness. "And don't think you can sneak onto the shuttle and take off without me knowing." Freya started guiltily. "I'm coming with you. We need to bring them home together."

---

Freya checked the drip running into Zoe's arm, and ran her eye over the makeshift connections. She'd done the best she could, linking several bags of saline and vitamins to hang from the ceiling, but it still didn't give them long. If they weren't back within a day, maybe thirty hours at the most, the women on board Serenity would begin to dehydrate, and brain damage would occur, followed pretty swiftly by death.

"Freya?" Kaylee called from the corridor.

"Coming." Freya climbed up the ladder to join the younger woman.

"I've downloaded the scans to the shuttle," the young mechanic said. "Looks like there's a dead area in their defences about three miles from the mines."

"Three miles? That's going to be a fair hike, over unstable terrain. You sure you –"

"I'm coming."

Freya shrugged. "Okay. Then we'd better get moving."

The shuttle took off smoothly from Serenity's hull, her stabilisers swinging out and engine glowing. Kaylee watched the rear vid as the Firefly disappeared among the landscape. "I hate to leave her all alone like this," she said quietly.

"She isn't alone." Freya set a course to bring them around on the far side of Tetris to the mines. "And if she is, she won't be for long."

"What if someone finds her?"

"_Xiao mei-mei_, we'll cross that bridge when – and if – we come to it. Stay focused, remember?"

"Focused. Right."

Freya ran a practised eye over the scans. "Well, it appears they've got themselves a regular little town down there," she said, tapping the screen. "May be our way in."

"The power grid links into this generator." Kaylee pursed her lips. "Looks like the weak point."

"It's drawing a lot of wattage," Freya said, equally thoughtfully. "More'n just lights."

"Recyclers?"

"Probably. But I picked up two, very brief spikes as we passed." She switched images. "Here, and here."

"Any idea what they are?"

"Unfortunately I do. I recognise the pattern. These spikes, slavers and Tetris tends to put me in mind of pacifiers."

"What, you mean …" She mimed a ring around her neck.

"Yeah. Not good news for us. Or them. Unless we can … Kaylee, if we knock out the main power grid, at that generator, maybe, the pacifiers should cut out, at least for a while."

"They've got back-ups," Kaylee pointed out. "Won't take long for them to kick in."

"How long?"

"Maybe thirty seconds."

"_Kway-juh duh_."

"That's not long to take off a pacifier."

"It is if you know the power's going down."

"But how do we let them know?"

"Still working on that. May involve corruption."

Kaylee looked at her friend, shaking her head. She was certainly seeing her in a new light these past few hours.

---

"I don't know." The guard was young, still wet behind the ears, and Freya felt almost guilty for hastening his slide into dishonesty. Still …

"I just need some help. And the money's all I said."

"Yeah, the money's good." He still looked indecisive. "Enough to get me away from here, anyways."

"Fresh start. Best thing for you."

"I suppose."

"All I need is for you to get us the antidote, and then let us into the compound. We'll disable the generator. Then you just let my people know – they'll do the rest."

"I don't know," he repeated.

"If you want a ride, we can take you." Freya glanced around the bar. "But I need a decision now."

He looked at her unhappily. "I don't have too much of a choice here, do I? You'll kill me if I say no, just to keep me quiet."

"Would you talk?"

"No."

"Then I won't kill you." She sighed. "Look, of course you have a choice. Just make the right one."

"Okay." He looked around the room himself. "But I want off this rock. I hate this place with a vengeance."

"Deal."

Now he had committed himself, he was anxious to get going. "Be at the south fence just after nightfall. There's a gap in the security field: I can get you in. It's close to the generator too. But you can't wear a gun – it'll be detected."

"What about the explosive?"

"That should be okay. Too many to check for."

"And the antidote?"

"I'll bring it."

"Good." She leaned forward, so she was very close to him. "And you know what will happen if you betray me, don't you?"

He felt something cold walk across his grave. "I know. And I won't. I want to get away from here."

She smiled. "You will. I promise."

---

As the light faded, Kaylee and Freya waited at the prearranged spot.

"Is this a good idea?" Kaylee asked.

"We need his help."

"I know, it just …"

"Feels bad?"

"Yeah."

"It will. Until this is all over you're going to be feeling anxious."

"It's more than anxiety. I have a really bad feeling about this."

"Well, keep it under control. There he is." Freya nodded to the guard who was walking towards them, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible, but managing to look just the opposite. "I really hope no-one's watching," she commented quietly.

"Hey," he whispered loudly. "You there?"

"Yes." Freya came out from behind the rock, Kaylee close behind.

"Come on. I don't have much time – I have to be on shift in ten minutes."

"Great. Make your way to my group, let them know what's going to happen."

"I said I would. But … how do I know them?" He looked unhappy.

"They're new, there's four of them, and one of them is a hell of a lot taller than you. Oh, and they answer to the name of Serenity's crew," Freya said ironically.

"Ok." He didn't suspect sarcasm, which was one of the reasons Freya had chosen him – intelligence was unlikely to get in his way. "Right. Look, the generator's over here." He led the way to a small building. "There's no-one inside – it's all automated." He punched in a combination on the lock and the door swung silently inwards. "I have to go."

"Wait – what about the antidote?" Freya asked, putting her hand on his arm. She squeezed, just a little.

"Oh yeah." He reached into the breast pocket of his uniform and withdrew a phial. "Here it is." He handed it to Freya.

"Don't seem much," Kaylee commented.

"Don't need much. Just 10 cc for each person." He tried to pull away but Freya held him firm. "Look, you want me to find your crew? Then let me get along."

"Okay." She let go. "But you be back here with my people, or you get left on this rock."

"Don't worry – I'll be here." He hurried off into the darkness.

Freya watched and listened for a moment, then turned to Kaylee. "Come on, we need to get this done."

Inside the building banks of equipment glowed red, green and amber, with dials and readouts chattering away. Kaylee ran an experienced eye over it, then walked to a particular block of relays. "Here," she said. "This is the main array – we take this out we give them maybe a minute."

"Maybe?" Freya asked as the mechanic opened her bag. "How much less than a minute is maybe?"

Kaylee didn't look up from her work. "Could be as little as … Frey, I don't honestly know." She stuck the timer above the first relay panel, running the cable down the side to the bag tucked underneath. "Maybe a couple of seconds."

"That is not long enough," Freya pointed out.

"I can't be specific," Kaylee admitted, standing up. "It depends on their system, and I haven't had the chance to check it out."

"So maybe a minute, maybe not. Okay. We have to live with that. Let's just hope they get the chance to as well. Done?" she asked.

"Yeah. Just need to …" She pressed the button on the timer. "Thirty minutes."

"Let's hope that's long enough too."

They moved out of the building, closing the door behind them and hearing the combination reset itself. Walking back to the gap in the field, they began to head back to Serenity's shuttle.

"Hold it!" a voice called from the darkness. "Or we fire."

"_Tzao gao_," Freya said quietly as five men materialised out of the dark, and she knew she had little chance against them all, not without her gun.

---

"What are you doing on my moon?" the man sitting at the desk asked, almost pleasantly.

"Looking for work," Freya said, her thumbs hitched into her belt.

"Work? On Tetris?" He laughed. "You think I believe that?"

"I don't mean down the mines. I'm not that stupid. We were looking at the town. Thought we might set up here."

"Set up what?" He leaned forward, as if he was really interested in her reply.

"A whorehouse," Freya smiled, lying blithely, hoping Kaylee would be able to keep up. "You have a lot of men here, and they might be wanting for female companionship. Thought we might be able to provide that."

"A whorehouse? Just the two of you?"

Freya laughed. "No, not at all. And we don't work in it. Just run the place."

"And the women come from where?"

"We have our sources."

"What sources?"

"Oh come on. You think I'd tell you? You'd be as like to take my idea and make a mint from it yourself."

"Believe me, nothing happens here I don't know about. Or get a cut from."

"Well, that's something we could discuss."

The mine manager stood up and came around the other side of the desk, standing only a couple of feet away from Freya. "So what were you doing out at the mine?"

"Being nosy."

"Nosy."

"Yeah. Just wanted to see what went on there."

"Is that true?" he asked Kaylee.

"We were curious. I mean, we heard tell what happens down there. Didn't want to get too close, but … I mean, we're all curious creatures, ain't we?" Kaylee spoke firmly, and Freya was impressed.

"Mmmn. You know what curiosity did to the cat, don't you?"

"Last time I looked we weren't cats," Freya put in, trying to get his attention back to her.

"No. But that don't mean I believe you." He moved closer, until she could smell the stink of his breath. "And I don't. I want to know what you're doing on this planet. And at my mine."

"I told you."

"Hell, my granny could come up with a better story than that."

"Maybe that's because it's true." She stared into his face.

"If you said you'd come to kill me I might believe it more." He nodded to the guards. "Take them."

The four men moved in, taking Freya and Kaylee by the arms.

"Wait," Freya said. "Take us where?"

"Well, you were curious about the mine. I'm giving you the opportunity to experience it first hand."

Freya began to struggle. "No, look, you can't! Kaylee's pregnant. She –"

"You think I care? Whatever you came here to do – and I really don't care about that either – it's all air through the intake. And pretty soon you won't care about it either."

"No!" Freya pulled herself loose from one of the guards, using the momentum to swing around and deliver a hook to the other. The two holding Kaylee let her go and weighed in, and against four brutal trained men Freya had little chance. In only a few moments she hung between two of them, dazed, almost unconscious.

"Get them out of here," the Manager ordered.

Kaylee, as scared as she had ever been, watched as they dragged Freya out of the office, and then was forced to follow.

---

"How long do people last down here?" Hank asked, leaning his pick against the wall. Their shift had just finished, and they had a couple of minutes while the guard changed before being taken back to their cell.

"Not long," Simon said. "The dust will start to destroy lung tissue, then –"

"They have a pretty high turnover," Mal finished. "That's why slavers get involved. No-one wants to volunteer to work down here."

"What about the guards? Don't they get the same problems?"

"Yeah, but they aren't hired for their intelligence." Mal looked over at two of them who were standing talking. "And they get to leave here when they finish. Workers can never get away from it."

"Great. Another interesting way to die."

"Shh." Simon signalled everyone to be quiet – one of the new guards was heading towards them.

"You," he said quietly. "Are you from Serenity?"

Mal stood up straighter. "Why?" he asked.

"Are you?"

"Yes."

"Thank the Lord for that. I didn't think I'd find you in time." The guard looked at his timepiece. "In about five minutes the power is going to go down. I don't know how long for, but long enough to get those pacifiers off."

"How do you know this?" Mal asked, but with an inkling of what the answer would be.

"She said her name's Freya. Said for me to tell the Sergeant to be ready to ship out." His brow wrinkled. "Does that make sense?"

"It does." It was Freya's way of making sure he knew the message came from her. From when he used to be a Sergeant and she was a mere Lieutenant. During the war. Mal could see Jayne grinning widely, while the others tried not to show their pleasure. "They blowing the generator?"

"Yeah."

"What about the explosives in these damn things?" He touched the metal torque.

"Here." The young man took a small box from his pocket and touched it to the pacifier around Mal's neck. There was a hum and a click. "It's deactivated." He did the same to the others.

"How can we be sure?" Hank asked.

"You'll have to trust me."

"Trust you?" Mal almost laughed. "You think that's likely?"

"If you're dead you can't take me with you. That was the deal. I help you and you take me off this rock. And pay me what she promised."

"I don't think we have a choice, Mal," Simon said.

"No. I don't reckon we do. Five minutes, you said?"

"Less. Maybe three." He glanced about. "Look, we'd better head back towards your cell. Don't want anyone to get suspicious at this late juncture."

Mal nodded. "Come on."

As they headed back towards the cell they passed the main shaft entrance, and they all heard the shaft elevator whine, the small cage descending into view. The doors opened.

"Breathe deep," one of the guards inside laughed. "Manager wants you dead."

"_Wahng-ba dan duh biao-tse_ …" Mal breathed as they pushed two women out into the mine. Two women he recognised all too well.

The young doctor was less restrained. "Kaylee!" he shouted, lunging for her.

One of the guards touched the control at his belt and he fell, twitching, the pacifier flaring at his neck. Jayne tried to take him out, aiming a big fist at the guard's chin, with the same result. The other guards didn't wait to see what the rest of Serenity's crew did, and all four were on the ground.

Through a haze of pain Mal watched Kaylee try to get to her feet, then collapse back, having some form of convulsion. Freya, looking groggy already, crawled towards her, trying to help her, before she too began to convulse. It took all his willpower and strength to pull himself to his feet, staggering towards them both. One of the guards raised his gun.

Then everything went black. For one awful moment Mal thought he was dead, that there truly wasn't anything to come in the afterlife, then he realised the pain had stopped and the pacifier was no longer flaring. Reaching up he pulled it apart, tossing it away. "Power's down!" he called. "Get rid of them!" It was only then he realised the thing hadn't blown up.

"Doin' it!" Jayne yelled.

A gun went off, the blast bright for a moment and a man screamed, then there was the sound of a scuffle, growing louder. Then the lights came back on. Jayne had one man down, another lying against the wall, probably dead from the angle of his neck. Another was futilely pounding on the pacifier control until Simon swung at him, knocking him out. The fourth was bringing his gun to bear on Jayne but fell as Mal punched him deep in the belly, then kicked him in the head on the way down.

"Kaylee!" Simon cried again, rushing to her side. She was still convulsing, her eyes rolled back into her head, her breath rasping in her chest. "We have to get them out now!" He picked Kaylee up, cradling her head on his shoulder.

"Jayne," Mal said, tossing him the gun from guard he'd disabled. The big man bent over and picked up two more, sticking one inside the waistband of his pants and hefting the others in both fists. Mal went to pick up Freya, gratefully accepting Hank's assistance as Freya was jerking uncontrollably.

"What about … oh." Hank looked back at the young man who'd helped them. He was lying on the ground, his eyes staring at nothing, his throat torn out by the bullet.

"We can't help him," Mal said quietly. "Let's help those we can."

They got into the cage and Jayne hit the up button. The elevator creaked into life, lifting them up the shaft. Mal watched as Simon tenderly put Kaylee down, checking her vitals.

"Doc? Are they going to be all right?" he asked.

"I don't know. She's stopped convulsing." That was true. Kaylee now lay quietly, her eyes closed, her breathing very shallow. Freya too had stopped jolting.

"But they weren't down there long," Hank said. "Only a few minutes."

"That's all it takes," Simon said, no expression in his voice. "I need to get them to Serenity."

"Mal." Freya had spoken. He looked down into her face. She was awake, just. "The shuttle … three miles east ... hole in field … Serenity's …" She coughed.

"It's okay, Frey, honey. We'll find her. We'll use the pulse beacon." He slid down the wall so she was resting on his thighs. "Don't worry."

"I couldn't … she …" Her eyes rolled back and she was out again.

"How much longer?" Mal asked no-one in particular.

Eventually the cage reached the surface, and Jayne opened the gates with care. But there was no-one around – the shift had started so there shouldn't have been anyone leaving the mine. Still, he checked the minehead carefully, before waving the others out.

They headed east, past the remains of the generator building.

"Kaylee?" Jayne asked, nodding towards the ruins.

"Probably," Mal replied, too intent on getting them back to the comparative safety of the shuttle.

"Hey!" A man's voice, not angry, not yet. "What the hell are you doing –" When they didn't stop, he shouted, this time with more temper. "You stop or I'll fire. I'm manager here – you will stop –"

Mal watched as Simon handed Kaylee to Jayne, then pulled the third gun from the front of the big man's pants, raising it as he turned. He caught sight of the young doctor's face, and a touch of guilt for what he'd made of this man washed through him. This was cold, white rage, scarcely hidden under his impassive expression. Aiming at the manager, who didn't have time to do more than stop in his tracks, Simon fired.

"It's done," Mal said.

"Yes," Simon agreed, barely looking at the body before taking Kaylee back into his arms. "Let's go home."

---

"I'm okay," Frey insisted as the shuttle docked with Serenity. She'd woken up as the shuttle had taken off from Tetris, feeling stronger all the time. "See to Kaylee."

"We are," Mal said. "Simon's going to be taking her to the infirmary." Freya sat up, fighting for balance as she felt the room spin. "Which is exactly where you're going too."

"No. I … not while they're … I want to change my clothes." Mal looked at her, baffled. "I smell of that place. I need to get it off my skin, and we can't do anything to help Simon. Or Kaylee."

"No. Okay, I'll help you back to the bunk. Help you wash the stink of that rock off."

"You can all go change," Simon said unexpectedly, picking Kaylee up in his arms as Jayne opened the airlock door. "I don't know how long this is going to take." He carried her out into Serenity.

"You stay with the others," Freya insisted. "You're captain. I can manage." She stood up and nearly fell over, holding onto Mal's arm for support.

"No, you can't. And I can't help Simon either." He touched her face. "Let me help you."

"It's going off," she insisted.

"Of course it is. I know it. Now let me help you."

"Okay."

He put his arm around her waist. "We won't be that long. I promise you."

"You need to have this, too." Freya pulled a small plastic phial from inside her shirt pocket.

Mal smiled a little. "The antidote?"

"Yeah. 10 cc to each of them. From what I can remember, it works pretty fast."

"I believe it does."

"That guard …" She looked around the shuttle, as if only now remembering. "Didn't he come with us?"

"No. He didn't." He would explain later, as a lot of explanations would wait. "Come on, Frey."

---

Simon stepped out of the infirmary, his face carefully composed.

"Doc?" Mal asked, standing in the middle of the common area, his arms crossed. The others hung back.

"Kaylee will be fine," Simon said.

Mal exhaled. "Good. And the baby?"

"It's …" His face collapsed and they were suddenly afraid, but … "It's okay," he said quickly, seeing their reactions. "She's still pregnant."

"Thank God!" Inara said.

Mal felt his heart start to beat again in his chest.

Freya stood up abruptly, knocking her chair over, and walked out of the room into the cargo bay. Mal watched her go.

"And Kaylee's going to be okay?" Zoe said quietly.

"She'll be fine," Simon repeated. "She's sleeping. I'd rather no-one … everybody ought to get some rest."

"Yes." Mal roused himself. "That's a good idea. So best to go get … well, just rest. We can all go see her tomorrow."

"Yes sir," Zoe said, leading the way out of the common area.

"Don't know how much sleep we'll be getting, though," Hank muttered as he followed her. "Feel like celebrating."

"You can celebrate tomorrow," Zoe said over her shoulder.

"With you?" he asked hopefully, but she ignored him.

Mal watched Simon go back into the infirmary to stand by Kaylee's side, then himself went back to his bunk.

Freya was sitting on the bed, her feet drawn up, her head resting on her folded arms.

"You okay?" he asked as he climbed down the ladder.

"I was so scared," she said quietly. "It could have been … it was all my fault."

"How d'you figure that?" he asked, crossing to sit next to her.

"I should have made her stay on the ship. She'd have been safe on Serenity."

"You know that for sure?" Mal sighed. "Frey, sweetheart, hindsight is perfect. And if we're apportioning blame then it's maybe my fault for ever giving her a job. This ain't the first …" He stopped, thinking on past times, then went on, "Or are we going to blame her parents for sleeping together?"

Freya looked up at his words. "That wasn't what I meant," she said quickly, sudden anger in her tone.

"I know. And it wasn't quite my intention here to get you mad," Mal pointed out. "The point I was making is that what's happened was no-one's fault. Except the _hwoon-dahn_ who put her in that mine. And he ain't going to do that again. Simon saw to that."

"I know what you're saying, Mal. I really do." Freya looked into his eyes, wanting to lose herself in them. "It just doesn't help. I just feel so guilty."

"You want me to order you to stop it?" He put his arm around her shoulders. "Little Kaylee isn't going to blame you, and I'm damn sure Simon isn't either. Little Kaylee's fine. She's gonna have a beautiful, bouncing baby, who's gonna puke and cry all over my ship. Simon's gonna make sure she stays safe. He ain't gonna pass up a chance like this to be a good dad. Better'n his own."

"You become a philosopher in your old age?" Freya asked, smiling at last.

"Oh, I am deep. Very deep. Can't pick apart all my knots in only one day," Mal agreed.

"I like your knots," Freya admitted. "Tie me up in them, will you?"

"So tight you'll never get loose." He pulled her close to him and held her, her own arms around his waist.

"Don't let go." She sighed contentedly.

"Ain't planning on it," Mal said, tightening his grip and smiling down at her.


	4. Chapter 4

Simon sat at the dining room table, staring into his plate. Everyone else was talking, laughing, the tension of the last few days relaxed and easy now.

"So when you gonna let that little girl back to work?" Mal asked, looking down the table at the young man. "Doc?"

"Sorry?" He looked up.

"You out playing with the fairies?" Mal asked good humouredly.

"No. No, just thinking."

"Really. Not sure I should allow that on my boat," Serenity's captain added, trying to look serious. "I'm the only one allowed to do that."

"And you're so good at it," Freya joked, smiling at him.

"That I am. Just 'cos my plans sometimes don't go quite as smooth as I intended, don't mean they weren't well thought out in the first place." His lips twitched. "So, when's it gonna be?"

"What?" Simon asked.

"Kaylee. Getting back to work. She's my mechanic, doc. Can't have her lying in bed all day getting fat." He grimaced as Freya kicked him under the table. "I meant lazy," he amended quickly.

"You think that's better?" Freya breathed.

"She needs a day or two more. Just so I can keep an eye on her," Simon said, not letting the captain get to him.

"Well, something's sure to break down soon. Just so long as you're ready for that. Could be something important. Like the atmo feed."

"Or the oven," Jayne put in. "That'd be mighty hard to live without."

"Oh, I don't know," Hank said. "You pretty much graze on whatever's around. It not being cooked probably wouldn't bother you."

Jayne scowled at him, but Zoe interrupted before he could get started.

"How's she feel about you not letting her up?"

"She's annoyed," River put in, tearing a hunk of bread into pieces and wiping it around her plate. "Wants to be back with her baby."

"She's with … oh, you mean Serenity," Simon said. "Well, not yet. Not until she's ready."

"She's pregnant, doc, not broken," Mal said.

"And she nearly died down on that damn planet!" Simon's voice was suddenly hard and loud.

"But she didn't die," Inara said quietly into the hush. "She's fine."

"She might not have been!" Simon was angry, but he couldn't decide rightly at whom. "Seems to me she gets hurt a lot on this damn boat!"

Mal stared down the table at him. "It ain't on purpose, doc. It ain't never on purpose."

"You all talk about being family, but you let things happen … how can you –"

"She is family," Mal said louder, breaking over him, holding his own anger in check. "And I do my _chiang-bao hoe-tze duh_ best to keep her safe. She didn't have to come down after us. But she did. Because she's family."

"That isn't good enough!" Simon banged his fist down on the table hard, making the glass next to his plate fall over, spilling water cross the wood.

River was up out of her chair in an instant, grabbing a towel from the counter and wiping up the liquid. "Always have to be messy," she said quietly. "Always having to clean up after you."

Simon stared at her, then looked around at the rest of the crew. His mouth worked for a moment, then he managed to say, "I'm … I'm sorry." He collapsed back into his seat, his head down, shoulders slumped.

Mal looked at him, not unkindly, then said, "Everyone, out. I think the doc needs a little time alone."

The crew glanced at each other, but did as Mal ordered. All except Inara, who looked Mal in the eye and shook her head.

He gazed at her then shrugged. Maybe he did need to talk, and Inara might be the best person to listen. Mal followed Freya out towards the bunks.

"Simon," the Companion said softly. "What is it? It's more than just Kaylee getting hurt, isn't it?"

Simon didn't look up. "I killed someone, Inara. I took the gun out of Jayne's belt and I killed him."

Inara held her breath.

"I'm a doctor. I took an oath ..."

"First do no harm," she said softly.

Simon glanced at her and began to recite: "But it may also be within my power to take a life; above all, I must not play at God." But I played God, Inara: I killed a man."

"Who, Simon?"

"The manager at the mine. He came after us as we were carrying them out, heading back to the shuttle. I … I had to … I couldn't stop myself. I was so angry." His voice was bleak, matching the paleness of his complexion.

Mal hadn't said anything, neither had any of the others, and Inara understood why. "He would have killed Kaylee. And Freya."

"That makes it right?"

"Simon, we all have it in us. I wish we didn't, but there's a part of us, a dark corner, where we go sometimes. And when we're there, we can do anything." She put her hand on his arm. "All of us."

"You too?" He was surprised.

"Me too." She pulled her chair a little closer to him so she could put her arm around his shoulders. "Simon, there are things in everyone's pasts that they're not proud of, that sometimes cause us great pain and shame. But the trick is to understand them, learn from them, and move on."

"I should take her away from here."

Inara was shocked. "No, Simon! This is her home."

"Home?" Simon looked into her face, his eyes black with anger. "Where she can get hurt like this, almost killed? I don't call this a home."

"What do you call it then?" Inara shook her head. "Mal took you in, you and your sister, when it would have been so much easier for him just to leave you on some planet. But he took care of you, as he takes care of all of us. And now you're angry at him."

"I'm not …" Simon stopped. "I am, aren't I?" He dropped his eyes so he couldn't see into hers. "What he's made of us, of me." He swallowed. "If we hadn't come on board, I could have … I would never have killed like that."

"If you hadn't come on board, sweetie, we'd never have met," Kaylee said from the doorway.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Simon demanded, getting to his feet and crossing the galley to take her by the arm.

"River said you were angry. That I might wanna be here for a while." She let Simon support her, even though she was more than capable of walking by herself. "Why are you angry?"

"Kaylee –"

"She says it's 'cos you killed a man." She looked into his eyes. "Did you?"

"I …" He couldn't lie to her, not to Kaylee. "Yes, I did."

"Why?"

"Because of what he did to you!" Simon let it out in a rush. "The manager of that mine … he tossed you into it, meant for you to die …"

"Then that's okay." Kaylee smiled a little, and Simon was suddenly very confused.

"I don't understand."

"Honey, I'd rather you never hurt anybody, but …" She made him sit down, noting from the corner of her eye that Inara had melted away rather than intrude. "Simon, I ain't killed anyone that I'm aware of. And I don't count Reavers 'cos they ain't men. But if it came down to it, if it were you or someone else … you think Frey and Zoe are the only ones on board'd kill for the men they love?"

"But I'm a doctor –"

"And you do it so well," she finished. "And you've saved us all, lots of times over. I ain't gonna hold a moment of madness against you. Now, if it had been in cold blood –"

"Not cold," he interrupted. "Hot. Blazing. He hurt you." Simon glanced down at her belly. "Is that the kind of man you want for the father of your child?"

"Man. That's the word, Simon. You're a man. Not a boy no longer. Ain't been that since you came on board, but you were too busy to notice. I didn't fall for a boy. I love me a man." She lifted her hand and put it on his cheek, cradling the smooth flesh. "Out here, boys don't survive. Be a man for me."

Simon felt tears prickling at his eyes. "Why are you so amazing?" he asked.

Kaylee grinned, suddenly looking like her old self. "Just talented, I guess."

"I guess you are." He leaned forward to kiss her gently, then opened his eyes when she kissed him back with a deal more passion.

"Can we go back to your room?" she asked, speaking into his mouth. "Please?"

"Kaylee, I don't know if –"

"I'll be good. Do what you tell me. I just want … just wanna be close to you." She ran her hand through his black hair. "That's all."

He sighed, releasing all the pent-up feelings on one breath. "Kaylee, sweetheart, I know you. It doesn't work like that."

Her lips twitched, trying to keep a straight face. "I promise."

"Okay," he said slowly. "But then you get some sleep."

"Yes, sir, Doctor Tam."

Simon stood up and held out his hand, lifting her to her feet. She put her arms around him and they wandered, a little awkwardly, out of the galley back towards his room.

The other side, out in the corridor by the bunks, Mal was leaning on the wall.

"You told Kaylee to go to Simon?" Mal asked River who had appeared at his side.

"Always having to clean up after him," she said, stroking the wall with one hand. "He can be such a boob."

Mal smiled. "That he can, little albatross. But no getting involved in my lovelife, okay?"

"Of course not, captain," River said, gliding away. "I don't have to any more."

Mal stared at her as she turned the corner back towards the cargo bay.


End file.
